AVIC AG600
The AVIC AG600 Kunlong is a large amphibious aircraft designed by AVIC and assembled by CAIGA. Powered by four WJ-6 turboprops, it is one of the largest flying boats with a MTOW. After five years of development, assembly started in August 2014, it was rolled out on 23 July 2016 and it made its first flight from Zhuhai Airport on 24 December 2017; it is scheduled to be certificated in 2021, with deliveries starting in 2022. Development The AG600 was previously known as the TA-600; it was designated the Dragon 600 before TA-600. After five years of development, CAIGA began constructing the aircraft in August 2014, for a first flight initially targeted for 2015. Assembly was still on its way in October 2015. The prototype was rolled out on 23 July 2016 at the Zhuhai AVIC factory. At the roll-out, AVIC targeted a maiden flight by the end of 2016 and it had then gathered 17 orders, all from the Chinese government including the China Coast Guard; AVIC does not expect to produce it in large numbers. Target markets also include export sales, with island countries such as New Zealand and Malaysia having expressed an interest. On 24 December 2017, it made its maiden flight from Zhuhai Jinwan Airport. In May 2018, AVIC planned to have Civil Aviation Administration of China type certification completed by 2021 and deliveries starting in 2022. After transfer from Zhuhai to Jingmen, the prototype started low-speed taxiing on the Zhanghe reservoir on 30 August 2018. On 20 October 2018, the prototype AG600 completed its first water take-off and landing at Jingmen's Zhanghe Reservoir. Further variants may be developed for maritime surveillance, resource detection, passenger and cargo transport. It is one of the three big plane projects approved by the State Council of China, with the Xi'an Y-20 military transport and the Comac C919 airliner. Design The AG600 amphibious aircraft has a single body flying boat fuselage, cantilevered high wings, four WJ-6 turboprops and tricycle retractable landing gear. It can operate from stretches of water deep, and should be able to conduct Sea State 3 operations with waves. It was developed for aerial firefighting, collecting of water in 20 seconds and transporting up to of water on a single tank of fuel ( rotations), and search and rescue, retrieving up to 50 people at sea. Assembled by CAIGA, it is 36.9m long and has a 38.8m wingspan, its MTOW is from paved runways or from choppy sea. AVIC claims it is the largest amphibious aircraft. It is heavier than the MTOW Beriev Be-200 or the ShinMaywa US-2, but lighter than the prototype-only Beriev A-40. Previous seaplanes were heavier, as the Martin JRM Mars or the prototypes Blohm & Voss BV 238, Saunders-Roe Princess or Hughes H-4 Hercules. Specifications (AG600) of water |length m=36.9 |span m=38.8 |height m=12.1 |wing area sqm= |wing area note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil= |empty weight kg= |empty weight note= |max takeoff weight kg=53500 |max takeoff weight note=from land, from choppy sea |fuel capacity= |more general= |eng1 number=4 |eng1 name=WJ-6 |eng1 type=turboprops |eng1 kw= |prop blade number=6 |prop name=constant speed |prop dia m= |prop dia note= |max speed kmh=560 |cruise speed kmh=500 |cruise speed note=max |stall speed kmh= |stall speed note= |never exceed speed kmh= |never exceed speed note= |minimum control speed kmh= |minimum control speed note= |range km=4500 |range note= |combat range km= |combat range note= |ferry range km= |ferry range note= |endurance=12h |ceiling m=6,000 |ceiling note= |g limits= |roll rate= |glide ratio= |climb rate ms= |climb rate note= |time to altitude= |lift to drag= |wing loading kg/m2= |wing loading note= |power/mass= |thrust/weight= |more performance= * Operations from: of water }} See also * Beriev Be-200 * Beriev A-40 (Be-42) * Harbin SH-5 * ShinMaywa US-2 References External links * Category:AVIC aircraft Category:Amphibious aircraft Category:Flying boats Category:Aerial firefighting aircraft Category:High-wing aircraft Category:Four-engined tractor aircraft Category:Four-engined turboprop aircraft Category:2010s Chinese military utility aircraft Category:2017 in China Category:Aircraft first flown in 2017